Electrical apparatus



Ma 30,1967 F T,SPERA 3,323,099

ELECTRI CAL APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1965 United States Patent 3,323,099ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Frank T. Spera, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor toPhilco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware FiledJuly 14, 1965, Ser. No. 471,900 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-192) This inventionrelates to electrical apparatus, and more particularly to connectormeans for providing common electrical connections to large numbers ofadjacent-1y disposed modular micro-circuit socket assemblies.

Modular micro-circuit socket assemblies of one well known type comprisea multiplicity of individual socket contact elements extending throughtubular insulators disposed within spaced apertures in a back plate.Each socket contact element includes a portion within the insulatoradapted electrically to engage an inserted terminal of a module and aportion outside the insulator about which an electrical conductor iswrapped. The pattern of the selected apertures, and the socketassemblies therein, matches the pattern of plug connectors of integratedcircuit elements to be mounted upon the metal back plate through theagency of the socket assemblies.

In apparatus of the above described type it has been a practice tointerconnect appropriate ones of the socket contact elements inprovision of operating voltages, signals, or ground connections. Meansheretofore used to provide such interconnections, in the fabrication ofsuch apparatus, have involved the making of numerous individualconnections to a common circuit element. This is not only timeconsuming, but also not all connections are uniformly made, with theresult that there is a tendency to introduce non-uniform voltage dropsthrough the interconnections to the common circuit element, withconsequent degradation in performance.

It is therefore the general objective of this invention to provideimproved interconnecting means of substantially unitary constructionthat minimizes the number of electrical connections in apparatus of theabove described type.

It is therefore the general objective of this invention to vide unitarybus bar and contact strip means, the latter adapted for cooperativedisposition with respect to selected individual socket assemblies toestablish electrical interconnection thereof.

It is a further objective of the invention to provide a connecting stripor bar for the above described purposes that lends itself to electricalshielding from other circuit elements.

The invention contemplates that an electrically conductive bus bar bedisposed to the component side of a back plate as hereinabove described,and include contact elements which extend into predetermined aperturesof the insulators, thereby both supporting the bus bar and constitutinga spring contact within such insulators adapted both frictionally andelectrically to engage pronged terminal elements of components mountedWithin such insuilators.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects and advantages ofthe invention may best be achieved will be more clearly understood uponreferring to the following description, taken in light of theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded, perspective view, on an enlarged scale, offragments of a back plate and module assembly embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational view, on a still further enlargedscale, and showing portions of the back plate and module assemblyillustrated in FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of arrows 22 appliedthereto; and

3,323,099 Patented May 30, 1967 FIGURE 3 is a large scale perspectiveview similar to portions of FIGURE 1 and illustrating a modification ofthe invention.

With more particular reference to the drawing, and first to FIGURES 1and 2, preferred apparatus embodying the invention comprises a metalback plate 10 provided with apertures 1'1 within which are frictionallyretained closely spaced groups of insulative members 12 having axiallyaligned bores 13 and 14 of different diameters. Preferably, but notnecessarily, insulative members 12 are made of a flexible and resilientmaterial, such for example as nylon, which affords frictional retentionin the panel apertures. Some of the insulative members 12 have terminals15, each comprising a lower, straight portion 16 frictionally retainedwithin one of the smaller bores 14, and a bifurcate, resilient portion17 disposed Within one of the larger bores 13. Each portion 17 isadapted to receive and frictionally retain pins or prongs 21 of anelectrical component 20, such for example as a micro-circuit moduledevice.

In especial accordance with the invention, reversely bent, generallyU-shapcd resilient contact elements 24 are formed integrally with, andpresented transversely of, an electrically conductive bus or strip 23extending along the upper side of back plate 10. Each of the resilientcontact elements 24 extends into the larger diameter bore 13 of acorresponding insulative member 12. The U- shaped contact elements 24are so proportioned and positioned that their leg portions engagelateral walls of the insulative member defining the larger diameter bore13, and are flexed inwardly by contact with such Walls. The free ends ofcontact elements 24 further are turned to- Ward, and tend to dig into,the aforesaid lateral walls of the insulative members, whereby retentionof the contact elements in the member is enhanced. Also, the relativelywider portion of contact element 24 adjacent strip 23 is so shaped anddisposed as resiliently to urge the strip into frictional holdingengagement with the outer surface portions of the aligned insulativemembers 12 (FIGURE 2). o

By virtue of the above described frictional engagement,

.. .strips 23 are held firmly in place during insertion and removal ofthe component connector prongs.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the strip 23 is stamped from .015 inchthick sheet stock of a beryllium-copper alloy, and is nickle plated,then gold plated. The portion of strip 23 extending in closely spacedrelation to back plate It) further is provided with electricalinsulation 25, such for example as a dielectric paint. This serves toprevent inadvertent electrical contact of the strip with the back plate.As is illustrated in FIGURE 2, construction and arrangement of a contactelement 24 is such that a prong 21 inserted in aperture 13 isresiliently engaged by the leg portions of the plated contact element,thereby aifording firm electrical contact between the prong and theelement.

In the present preferred embodiment of the invention it is the purposeof strip 23 to provide each of a plurality of closely spacedmicro-circuit modules 20 with a common ground circuit connection.However it will be appreciated that the strip 23 may be utilized forother purposes, for example to supply operating voltages or signals.Advantageously the unitary means comprising connecting strip 23 andresilient con-tact elements 24 affords a common electrical connection,with a minimum number of junctions. The unitary connector has particularutility in high speed computer applications where it aifords isola- Adium for electronic devices of various types which use a majority ofserial wiring.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 3, theconnecting element 27 of the strip 26a, which also is partiallyinsulated as seen at 25a, includes a resilient, reversely bentprong-engaging portion 28 that extends into the larger diameter section13 of insulator 12, as well as a portion 29 that extends into smallerdiameter section 14, in substantial frictional engagement with thelatter, To ensure frictional retention of the strip, portion 29inincludes opposed lateral slots or notches which become engaged in thematerial of insulative member 12, upon insertion of the latter into anopening 11. In this latter embodiment, the resilient portion of contact27 will bear forcibly against lateral sections of a component prong (notshown) inserted into the bore of the insulator. It will be understood ofcourse that the invention contemplates that in either of the disclosedembodiments the back plate may be made of an insulative material,

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that theinvention affords improved multi-terrninal interconnecting means ofsubstantially unitary construction that minimizes and simplifieselectrical connections, and which is particularly useful in combinationwith panel mounted electrical socket arrays.

I claim:

1. In combination with a panel board provided with electrical socketmeans having openings presented unidirectionally to one side of saidboard and arranged to receive terminal pins of electrical components,electrically conductive strip means extending over and adjacent the sideof said board to which said openings are presented, said strip meansbeing provided with an electrically insulative coating in the region ofits adjacency to said panel board, said strip means further including aplurality of spaced resilient contacts integrally formed therewith, eachof which contacts extend-s into an opening of a corresponding one ofsaid socket means and supports said strip means, said contactscomprising elongate, generally U-shaped elements of electricallyconductive material each having a portion frictionally engaging a wallof said socket means defining said opening, and a portion extending outof said opening and reversely bent into integral connection with saidstrip means, said contacts being disposed for frictional resilientengagement with such terminal pins upon insertion thereof into saidopenings of said socket means.

2. A panel board assembly comprising: back plate means having an arrayof adjacently disposed apertured socket means extending therethrough;electrical contact means extending into the apertures of said socketmeans, to one side of said back plate means, and including resilientcontact members of generally U-shape, each member extending into acorresponding one of said apertures,.one end portion of each saidU-shaped member being free and frictionally engaging the wall of saidaperture and the other end portion of each said U-shaped memberextending outwardly of said aperture, and further being reversely benttoward said socket means; and electrically conductive strip meansdisposed in close adjacency to said back plate and engaging said socketmeans, said strip means being formed integrally with said reversely bentother end portion of said U-shaped member and urged resiliently into therecited engagement with said socket means.

3. A panel board assembly comprising: back plate means having an arrayof adjacently disposed apertures extending transversely therethrough;tubular, electrically insulated socket members disposed to one side ofsaid plate means and including portions extending through saidapertures; reversely bent, flexible and resilient electrical contactmeans extending into the hollow portions of said tubular socket members,one leg of each said bent portion extending into frictional engagementwith a wall defining the hollow portion of a corresponding socketmember, and the other end of each said bent portion extending outwardlyof the recited corresponding socket member and extending transverselythereof; and electrically conductive strip means formed integrally withsaid last recited legs of said contact means and urged by the latterinto resilient frictional engagement with outer portions of said tubularsocket members, said strip means including a covering of electricalinsulation disposed between the strip means and both said 'backplatemeans and an outer surface portion of said tubular socket member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,870,424 1/1959 Franz 339172,916,718 12/1959 Hess 33914 X 3,086,074 4/1963 Just et -al 339-126 XMARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. W, DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PANEL BOARD PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICAL SOCKETMEANS HAVING OPENINGS PRESENTED UNIDIRECTIONALLY TO ONE SIDE OF SAIDBOARD AND ARRANGED TO RECEIVE TERMINAL PINS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS,ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE STRIP MEANS EXTENDING OVER AND ADJACENT THE SIDEOF SAID BOARD TO WHICH SAID OPENINGS ARE PRESENTED, SAID STRIP MEANSBEING PROVIDED WITH AN ELECTRICALLY INSULATIVE COATING IN THE REGION OFITS ADJACENCY TO SAID PANEL BOARD, SAID STRIP MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING APLURALITY OF SPACED RESILIENTLY CONTACTS INTEGRALLY FORMED THEREWITH,EACH OF WHICH CONTACTS EXTENDS INTO AN OPENING OF A CORRESPONDING ONE OFSAID SOCKET MEANS AND SUPPORTS SAID STRIP